Heartbreak in Israel

People at a festival flee a surprise attack launched by Hamas, near Reim on October 7, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. 

A lot has happened in Israel since I last wrote. I had teased more coverage in that post, but the amount and speed of incoming information was overwhelming. And if I’m being honest, I was personally overwhelmed by the brutality on display.

As of this writing the death toll stands at more than 900 dead, including 9 US citizens, at least 2500 injured and an unknown number, probably dozens including some American, hostages taken to Gaza. The number of dead and wounded will continue to increase as Hamas rocket attacks are continuing.

I wasn’t going to do this, but fuck it. I’m not including the numbers of Palestinian dead, because I don’t care how many of them die. If a bunch of “innocent” Palestinians die because their elected leadership decided to fuck around and find out, so be it. And I feel I need to be perfectly clear here, Hamas is the duly elected leadership of the Gaza strip. They chose this. As Hosea 8:7 says: For they sow the wind; and they shall reap the whirlwind.

The scenes coming out of Southern Israel are heartbreaking. At a music festival near Kibbutz Urim in Southern Israel to celebrate peace, Hamas terrorists used paragliders and trucks to start their massacre.

One woman, Shani Louk, a German citizen, was abducted by Hamas, probably raped and killed, had her dead body paraded around in the back of a truck. She was identified by her distinctive tattoos.

Shani Louk

Today, Shani’s family in Germany said they got word that she was alive, with a critical head wound in a hospital in Northern Gaza. I’m sorry, but that’s wish-casting. I’ve seen the video, I will not publish it here, and based on what I saw, she’s dead.

Noa Argamani, who was seen being taken away on a motorcycle by Hamas animals, however is confirmed as being alive and held as a hostage. She was another attendee of the Nova music festival held near the border with Gaza. More than 260 bodies have been recovered at the site.

There are reports floating around that 40 Israeli babies were killed at a kibbutz near Kfar Aza. These reports also state that some of the bodies had been decapitated and burned. They are unconfirmed at this point. I really hope this is not true, but given what has already been confirmed, I think my hope is in vain.

As I was about to publish this story, confirmation of the 40 dead children came in. A German journalist tweeted that she saw some of the bodies while at Kfar Aza.


The Israeli response has been swift and hard. As of 1100 local time, the IDF has struck more than 1300 hamas targets. The IDF has called up more than 360,000 reservists. Merkava tanks are being shipped south in preparation for ground operations.

“I have lifted all restrictions, we have regained control of the territory and are moving to a full-scale offensive. #Hamas wanted change in the Gaza Strip, and it will change 180 degrees from what the terrorists thought. They will regret this moment. Gaza will never go back to what it was before. Whoever comes to behead, to kill women, Holocaust survivors – we will destroy them with all our power and without compromise,” the minister said.

The IDF has also struck targets in Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel.